Tag Archives: Fine Arts

Each year UWF theatre professor Scott Hudson leads a group of students overseas for an “Ireland Experience.” It immerses them in a different way of life and helps theirs subsequent performances project Irish culture.

“You’re only as good as what resides in you,” Hudson said about his students’ talent. He said that while he could teach students ways to develop their acting, true talent could not be taught.

With the help of actor and director Paddy Behan, former head of the Carlow Theatre in Ireland, Hudson directed the double feature of “Riders to the Sea” and “A Pound on Demand” The switch from tragedy to comedy was impressive and demonstrated the students’ passion for acting.

“Riders to the Sea” illustrated lives in rocky, ocean-sided Ireland.

The story opens in a cottage scene of a family who recently lost two sons. The aged mother, Maurya, still grieving the loss. With the opportunity of the sea still calling, another son dies. The death of Bartley is first realized by his sisters Cathleen, and Nora, who are sent a package with a curious shirt inside. The scene ends dramatically as Maurya learns the horrible news.

“A Pound on Demand” however, had a far lighter subject.

The first scene opens on the opposite side of the island, in a post office that has a lively receptionist. Two men who have apparently spent some time at a pub enter seeking a form to claim “A Pound on Demand.” After stumbling through the office, Jerry and Sam finally get the form, but are too impaired to fill it out correctly. Inevitably, the police are called and the two men leave. The scene closes as Jerry and Sam hilariously come back to the office and find a policeman flirting with the receptionist.

The Theatre Department chose the two different pieces to show the rich variety of Ireland. “The thing I took most from the experience was the vast terrain,” said stage manager Eleanor Sweeney. The opportunity to visit the living situations similar to those of the play’s characters helped the actors get deeper into character and noticeably brought Irish culture into their performance.

Junior art major Corey Frey won Best in Show with his piece, “Quiddity,” a painting of a baby girl, modeled after his daughter.

Photo by Sydney O’Gwynn.

Junior studio art major Corey Frey took home the Best in Show award at the opening reception of the TAGGED Student Art and Design Exhibition on Thursday night.

The exhibition was open from 5 to 7 p.m. at The Art Gallery (TAG) in the Center for Fine and Performing Arts. Five juried awards were given out: two honorable mentions, two runners-up and a Best in Show award. There was also a People’s Choice award decided by the viewers at the opening reception.

The TAGGED exhibit is “an opportunity for students to compete in a juried competition, much like they will do once they graduate,” said Nick Croghan, director of TAG.

Croghan said there were more than 120 student submissions, and 13 members of the University of West Florida’s faculty narrowed the selection down to 45 pieces of artwork. Then, Croghan said, he brought someone outside of UWF to select the winners. This year’s guest judge was Raven Holloway, executive director of the Pensacola Museum of Art.

Holloway said there were several factors that went into the selection process.

“Obviously, the quality of the work, but also the creativity and imagination,” Holloway said.

She praised Frey’s winning piece.

“The painterly qualities of that piece were just outstanding,” Holloway said.

While the two runners up and the Best in Show winner received cash prizes from UWF, Holloway and the PMA awarded one-year memberships to the two students who received honorable mentions.

Frey’s winning piece, “Quiddity,” is an oil painting on wood panel. The painting is of a baby girl, modeled after his daughter.

“I’m exploring the relationship between visual imagery and the narrative that paint provides as a substance,” Frey said. “So I’m exploring whatever the subject matter may be, but I’m also really interested in what paint can do and the process of painting.”

Frey said it is nice to be in these shows because the artist sees the support in their work from others.

“For one, it’s just a confidence boost,” he said. “I think any student can just be excited that their work is being appreciated and just hearing that support is a huge deal and it keeps you going.”

Senior art major Jane Hatcher, who usually can be found taking pictures and videos at various art events, stepped out from behind the camera to accept the People’s Choice award.

“It’s a big honor because people are actually voting on your artwork,” she said about winning the award. “I love it.”

Hatcher said she had the materials for her work, which shows a tree stump with vines leading up to an upside-down chair, in her possession for the past four years. Her fascination with mushrooms inspired the outdoor theme in her piece. “It’s kind of bringing outside in,” she said.

The annual TAGGED event has been held for more than a decade. It is an all-student show, which associate professor Valarie George said is extremely important for both the students and the community.

“It’s important for a million reasons,” she said. “[Students] have to have some experience in applying for shows, being selected, being rejected; going through the motions of that process.”

Croghan agreed with George, citing art as a form of communication.

“You can talk about aesthetic issues, political issues, gender issues,” Croghan said. “Whatever platform you think is important, you can use this as a venue for expression.”

Hatcher also said student shows are important because it is an exposure opportunity for students as well as a way for the community to see the next generation.

“We’re upcoming artists; this is what we want to do for the rest of our lives,” Hatcher said. “When the community sees that, it encourages us.”

The 2016 TAGGED exhibition runs through March 12. TAG is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and noon to 4 p.m. Saturdays. For information on the Department of Art, including TAGGED and other upcoming events, visit their website.

Despite the stormy weather, the University of West Florida’s Singers and Chamber Choir didn’t disappoint with the concert “Praises!” on Monday, Feb. 15, in the Music Hall in the Center for Fine and Performing Arts.

Three different choirs performed: both the Singers and the more advanced Chamber Choir, formally called the Madrigals, directed by Peter Steenblik; and Pensacola Christian College’s Chamber Ensemble, directed by Cleusia Goncalves. This was the first time the groups have performed together.

“It was definitely a unique concert,” senior voice major Rebekah Pyle said. “We hadn’t done anything like that before; it was fun.”

All three choirs had a chance to perform individually, but the last song, “Saints Bound for Heaven,” saw the Singers and PCC’s Chamber Ensemble performing together. Between the two choirs there were approximately 100 singers on stage.

“It was fantastic,” junior piano major Nyasha Brice said. “I haven’t been on a stage with that many singers in a long time.”

Steenblik said there has been tremendous growth in the choir, doubling since he started. He also praised them on the execution of their opening song, “Lux Arumque” by Eric Whitacre, which he described as a “difficult” piece.

“They’ve grown so much,” Steenblik said. “To have done that piece after only five weeks of rehearsal is absolutely remarkable. I’m very proud of what they’re doing.”

Pyle is the Singers’ president, and said that, despite the lack of seniors, these individual students have come together to form a choir.

“Everybody is passionate about putting on a good performance,” Pyle said. “It’s a fun group to be a part of.”

Brice said she sees something special in this group of singers.

“In this semester in Singers there is a lot of drive to want to be better,” Brice said. “We have a group that’s willing to work for it.”

Steenblik got his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from The University of Utah. He performed with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir for four years and taught high school music for 10 years in Salt Lake City before going back for his doctorate from the University of North Texas. This is his first year directing the choirs, and he is already making his mark by adding choir officers and section leaders.

“By appointing officers, there’s a sense of buy-in from the students,” Steenblik said. “It’s their choir.”

Brice also said she feels the togetherness brought by the new leadership roles.

“It gives us more accountability over our group,” Brice said. “It’s not his group, it’s our choir. We work together.”

Pyle also said that the new director gives the choir a fresh feeling.

“It was cool because he had all this experience but he was also just out of school,” she said. “So he knows what it’s like to be in school and have all the stresses of school. He is very much on our side.”

In April, the Singers will be collaborating with the Pensacola’s Children Chorus in its spring concert “A Prayer for Peace.” The concert will be at First Baptist Church of Pensacola and will center on the “Chichester Psalms” by Leonard Bernstein. Steenblik said this concert was a “stepping stone” for the spring concert, which he called an “insanely collaborative concert.”

A video of the full “Praises” concert will be available on the UWF Singers website between Feb. 22-March 7. Archives performances may be found here as well.

For more information on the Department of Music, visit the website at uwf.edu/music.

Oklahoma! will be the first production the Department of Theater will put on this semester. The second, “On the Verge” will open in April. Photo courtesy of UWF.edu/music

By Sydney O’Gwynn
Staff Writer

The University of West Florida’s Department of Theater is kicking off its 2016 season with “Oklahoma!” at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb 19, at the Mainstage Theater in the Center for Fine and Performing Arts.

The show features an all-student cast and is directed by Sara Schoch, assistant professor of Musical Theater. Schoch performed in regional theaters across the nation before joining the department in the fall of 2015.

“Here at UWF we have some of the nicest, kindest, most hardworking young people in the industry,” Schoch said. “They are very open to the creative process, they are kind, they are generous in their performing, and they like to have a lot of fun, and it makes the production all the better because of it. We have an enormous amount of talent here at UWF.”

“Oklahoma!” follows cowboy Curly McClain and his love interest, Laurey Williams. It is set in Oklahoma territory in the year 1906.

Schoch, who has bachelor’s degree of fine arts in theater from the State University of New York at Fredonia and a master’s degree of fine arts in acting from Brandeis University in Waltham, Mass, said she loved this musical in particular and believes it is one of the best love stories ever created.

“This show is so unbelievably American,” she said. “It is the story of us. A lot of people consider this musical to be old; I consider it to be timeless.”

Jerre Brisky, director of the CFPA, said this production is important because the release of “Oklahoma!” was a milestone in the world of musical theater.

“‘Oklahoma!’ was really the first show within musical theater where the songs helped advance the plot and helped advance the story,” Brisky said. “It’s not often that you get to see what was probably one of the greatest influences on the history of musical theater.”

Schoch said she thinks there are a lot of challenges performers face because the production is a musical.

“I think the challenges in musicals are to create real characters – real characters who happen to be larger than life,” she said. “I think that is a challenge for any young actor, how we make these people believable and relatable at the same time.”

Schoch also said that the actors in the production range from freshman to senior students.

“We have people who have had many years of experience on the stage, and we have people who have not much experience on the stage,” she said. “So we have all levels, and they are all so enthusiastic and the show, in my opinion, is really beautiful.”

She said the people working behind the scenes- controlling the lighting, changing wardrobes and setting props –are just as vital to the production as the actors, and that the whole department works together in preparation for the production.

“We have all kinds of people,” Schoch said. “It’s not just the 22 actors on stage, it’s a hundred people that touch this production.”

Charles Houghton, chair of the Department of Theater, is in charge of lighting and scenic design for the production. He said he feels optimistic about the production from what he has seen in rehearsals.

“The show is going really well,” Houghton said. “It’s a very great energy with the cast. It’s going to be a fantastic production.”

He also said that Schoch is doing well with the actors and said he sees this production as the “complete package.”

“It’s one of those shows that, if you like musical theater, you are going to love this show,” he said. “If you haven’t been to see a show at UWF, I think it would be a great one for you to come and see what amazing talent we have here with our students.”

Brisky said he believes it is important for fellow students to come show their support for the student performers because of all the hard work they do.

“Seeing live shows is a completely different experience than going to a movie,” he said. “Students may or may not have ever seen a show before, this is a great introduction.”

Schoch echoes Brisky’s thinking about theater performances, calling what is done in the theater “magical.”

“Live theater is incredible. It’s an experience that hundreds of people share at one time, and I think that’s really rare,” she said. “It will never happen that way again, those people will never be in that room at that moment ever again.”

Tickets for current UWF students are free when they present their Nautilus card either at the Service Desk and Ticketing Center in the University Commons, or at the CFPA box office between the hours of 1 and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Tickets for the general public can be purchased at both locations for $16 for adults, $12 for senior citizens/active military, $10 for faculty/staff and non-UWF students, and $5 for youth. The production will run Feb. 19-21 and Feb. 26-28.

For more information, or to see the department’s full spring schedule, visit the website.

George R. Dekle Sr. discussed the investigation, prosecution and execution of the serial killer Ted Bundy on Wednesday.

Photo by Claudia Carlson.

On Wednesday, Feb. 10, the lead prosecutor in the Ted Bundy murder trial spoke at the Center for Fine and Performing Arts at the University of West Florida about the trial and his experience. The audience nearly filled the 309-seat Music Hall.

George R. Dekle Sr. worked for the State Attorney’s Office of the Third Judicial Circuit of Florida, where he served as an assistant state attorney from 1975 through 2005. After he retired in 2006, he became a legal skills professor for the University of Florida.

UWF senior Maura Little, a communications major, was ready to hear about the Ted Bundy trial. “I’m in a newspaper reporting class this semester, and I am here because I think this case is a very interesting part of Pensacola history,” Little said.

Dekle used PowerPoint to take his audience on a journey 38 years in the past. In the presentation, he used a timeline to describe the events that transpired and led to the investigation, prosecution and execution of Ted Bundy.

Bundy escaped from jail twice before heading to Florida to be near the water and in warmer weather. He killed two young women at the Florida State University who were living in the Chi Omega sorority house.

“I was a student at FSU in 1978 when Bundy terrorized our campus,” said Jack Williams of Pensacola. “He had previously been seen at this local bar that I regularly went to, which is something I still have not been able to process. What Bundy did while at FSU was unimaginable and horrific.”

Bundy stole a white FSU van and headed to Jacksonville, where he attempted to kidnap 14-year-old Leslie Paramenter, but was unsuccessful when her brother interrupted their conversation. This led Bundy to Lake City where he abducted 12-year-old Kim Leach, who descriptively could have been Paramenter’s twin sister. Bundy raped and killed the girl, leaving her body in the Suwannee State Park under a makeshift covering. She was reported missing for seven weeks until her body was found by investigators.

Bundy then headed to Pensacola in a stolen orange Volkswagen. Pensacola police officer David Lee pulled Bundy over around 1 a.m. when a “wants and warrants” check showed the car was stolen. Bundy made for a difficult arrest, kicking Lee and running away. At the time, the Police Department did not know with whom they were dealing, due to Bundy giving them a false name. Bundy’s true identity finally came to light when the student, whose identity Bundy had been using, reported it.

Authorities started putting pieces together when they realized the white van Bundy stole from FSU had been left around the area the Volkswagen was stolen, and also where Leach was abducted.

The two vehicles were filled with evidence that helped prosecute Bundy. Once Leach’s body was finally located, the fibers found in the carpet of the white van and on Leach’s clothes made it an evidence gold mine. A blood stain in the carpet of the van also matched Leach’s blood type.

In 1979 Bundy was convicted guilty of his crimes and sentenced to death.

Dekle said his job was not done until he saw the case all the way through. “You don’t win the case until the defendant is led into the death chambers and is executed,” Dekle said. “It’s a long haul, not a pleasant path, but you must be invested in it the whole way through.”

Bundy admitted to murdering 30 young women from 1974 through 1978, but Dekle said he believes the number to be much higher.

The now-retired Pensacola police officer Lee was in the crowd, where he received a standing ovation for his work in arresting Bundy and potentially saving more lives here in Pensacola.

Old Christ Church, located in downtown Pensacola in historic Seville Square, hosts the Chamber music concerts.

Photo courtesy of UWF.edu.

You could still hear the ring of the final note as it hung in the air, but the crowd was already on its feet. The performers wore proud smiles as they gazed into the crowd. But no smile was wider than the one on the face of their instructor, Hedi Salanki-Rubardt.

“I am so proud of the kids,” said Salanki-Rubardt, director of the University of West Florida’s Chamber Music Series at Old Christ Church in Pensacola. “I cannot tell you how happy they make me every time I see them blossoming and performing so beautifully.”

The chamber music class performed its first concert of the year on Wednesday, Feb. 3, which consisted of eight pieces. The song selection was mostly fun, love-based songs, but there were some serious pieces. One was the concert’s opening piece, Bach’s “Sonata in E minor” performed by Ramel Price on the violin, Marcus Baker on the double bass and Nyasha Brice on the harpsichord.

Salanki-Rubardt created the class 13 seasons ago and said that even she can’t believe how much the class has grown. She said she sees students develop into professional musicians throughout the course of the semester.

“It’s a unique class,” she said. “I don’t think anywhere else you can find chamber music in a class setting.”

The class offers a wide variety of musical genres, including Baroque, contemporary and jazz. The class meets once a week, Wednesdays from 11 a.m. until 12:50 p.m., in the Music Hall in the Center for Fine and Performing Arts.

“It’s a beautiful performing facility, and it’s nice for the students to listen to each other,” Salanki-Rubardt said.

The class is designed for students to have experience performing outside of their school as well as turn them into what Salanki-Rubardt calls “all-around” musicians.

She also said those class periods are dedicated mostly to students performing their pieces and fellow students giving critiques.

“They learn how to coach, they learn how to be kind when they are coaching and critiquing each other, because that is so important,” Salanki-Rubardt said. “I think we learn the most by listening to each other and critiquing each other in class. If you are a performer, you are a teacher.”

Students put on three concerts every semester at Old Christ Church downtown in Seville Square. They only have three or four class periods per concert to practice their music.

Salanki-Rubardt said the level at which the students are performing is very high, to prepare them for life after they graduate.

“In professional life, you don’t always have the luxury of preparing for weeks or a month,” she said.

Piano performance major Nyasha Brice is a seasoned veteran of the chamber music class. Despite the class only being required for two semesters, Brice has been enrolled in the class for her entire UWF tenure, minus one semester.

“Being in chamber not only forces you to prepare, but it forces you to constantly be in performance mode,” Brice said. “I don’t think I would have been able to do stuff like the Steinway showcase or my recital had I not had the experience of being on stage so often.”

Brice also said the class helps combat a performer’s nerves and that the students in the class work together to put on the concerts.

“It’s our group collaboration,” she said. “It’s our work.”

Sheila Dunn, chair of the Department of Music at UWF, said that Salanki-Rubardt holds her students at a high level and is also dedicated to them.

“She is, without question, one of the most passionate teachers of music I’ve ever known,” Dunn said. “She does it all with joy.”

Dunn also said she sees the class as an engagement opportunity for the university and the community.

“We have regulars that always attend and then we have new people,” she said. “Then they’re hooked.”

The community support is evident as the concert saw a full house, despite the rainy weather.

“There is something very special about giving this to the community, and we have wonderful followers who are there every concert,” Salanki-Rubardt said.

The Chamber Music Series has a profound effect on anyone who attends the concerts, as well as on the students performing in them.

“We get to find our own voice on our instruments through this class in different ways that we don’t get to do in our lessons,” Brice said.

For a list of future performances by the chamber music class, visit the Department of Music website.

Chris Schweizer, a graphic artist and cartoonist, discussed his journey into the world of graphic design in his lecture Thursday in the Center for Fine and Performing Arts at the University of West Florida.

Schweizer said he found it difficult deciding exactly what he wanted to do in the art field. When he was in his twenties, comic books became all the rage.

“That got me really excited,” Schweizer said, addressing the audience. “So I started to do comics.”

He said his dad had a huge impact on his decision to become a graphic novelist. He said he remembers when he was 24 and he drew some comics. After showing them to his dad, his dad said he should draw comics for a living.

“For him to, sort of, propose that was the first time that I actually thought of it as being a job,” Schweizer said.

“The Crogan Adventures” is Schweizer’s historical fiction graphic novel series. There are currently three published: “Catfoot’s Vengeance,” “Last of the Legion” and “Where Loyalties Lie.” He also has a children’s series called “The Creeps.”

In his lecture, Schweizer talked about his process when writing his novels and coming up with ideas for their stories.

He said he tries to engross himself in whatever genre he is working in so he can understand what he is drawing. He said doing this helps with the accuracy of the artwork.

Senior digital art major Lyani La Santa said it was a nice lecture for art majors to find some validity in their field. Being a digital art major, she said she also enjoyed his outlook on digital media.

“It’s nice to know that even though he is an accomplished artist, he sees online media as an actual tool to get art out there,” La Santa said.

She said she liked his approach of doing whatever makes you happy and said she learned to, “be as animated as your art.”

Schweizer is the first lecturer to visit the department of art this semester. Nick Croghan, director of The Art Gallery, said he tries to bring in several lecturers throughout the course of a semester.

“What I’m looking to do is provide the best experience for students, the university community and the general northwest Florida community,” Croghan said.

He said he tries to find lecturers whose experiences will cater to students in different fields of art.

“One of the things I really try to do is find a balance between traditional mediums and more contemporary mediums,” Croghan said.

To close the lecture, Schweizer gave some advice to up and coming art majors. He said exposure is key for an artist.

“Showcase what you do and how you to do it as much as you can,” he said.

He also said to stay true to what you do, because you never know what impact you are having on your fans.

“I love for work to be fun,” Schweizer said. “I really enjoy my work and I want to continue to enjoy my work.”

Before the lecture, Schweizer gave everyone in the audience a copy of one of his sketchbooks released in 2011. After the lecture, he autographed the books, making sure to give each one a personalized sketch. He gave the remaining listeners his philosophy on being successful in their careers.

“You’ve got to be two of three things,” he said. “Really good, really fast or really easy to work with.”